Farming instructor Nobuntu turns screw ups into A+ success

July 28, 2024 Adspro

Nobuntu Nose confronted severa challenges, from managing crop disasters to balancing her educating profession with farming. Yet, she by no means gave up. Today, she substances sparkling produce throughout the Eastern Cape
by Vateka Halile twenty sixth July 2024 Reading Time: 6 minutes read
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Farming trainer Nobuntu turns disasters into A+ success
Nobuntu Nose hasn’t had the first-class start; from dealing with communal politics to dealing with negative farm management, she has skilled it all. Photos: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

When Nobuntu Nose from Mthimbini in Cofimvaba, Eastern Cape embarked on her farming journey, she did no longer have it easy. From failed harvests and land politics to balancing farming whilst working as a full-time teacher, she encountered tough times. But she did now not take it mendacity down and became each and every venture into a lesson.

Nose continually knew she desired to pursue agricultural studies. The ardour used to be sparked all through her excessive faculty with agriculture as one of her subjects.

After matriculation, she attended Fort Hare University from 2008 to 2012 and earned a BSc in agricultural economics, observed with the aid of an honours degree.

Discovering farming’s enterprise potential
While working as a income intern at Dicla Trainings and Projects in Queenstown, Eastern Cape, Nose observed the actual manageable for incomes from farming.

“That’s how the pressure to begin a enterprise began,” she explains.

However, realising she wished capital to begin farming, Nose determined to pursue a postgraduate certificates in schooling (PGCE) at Walter Sisulu University in Queenstown in 2016. Teachers have been in excessive demand in the Eastern Cape at that time, and she concept it would be a top way for her to earn cash and keep toward her agricultural dream.

In 2017, she secured a function as a excessive faculty teacher, the place she taught agricultural administration practices at Arthur Mfebe Agricultural School in Cofimvaba.

Nobuntu Nose says developing inexperienced maize at one factor helped her earn proper cash from Cape Town customers. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi
Learning the difficult way
After having saved up some money, Nose commenced her farming commercial enterprise through leasing one hectare of land in Qamata, Cofimvaba the place she planted lucerne. However, due to bad management, the lucerne did now not germinate, ensuing in losses from tractor rental, land leasing, fertiliser, and seed costs.

Towards the cease of the year, she switched to planting inexperienced maize on half of a hectare. With the assist of her mother, Nokhumshile, the high-quality of the harvest improved.

She explains that she despatched the maize to Cape Town, the place she had many clients who sold it to resell.

“We generally pack the maize in sacks, wrap them, and send them with the aid of long-distance taxis to our consumers in Cape Town.”

Never-ending challenges
In 2019, Nose determined to plant cabbage and moved to a new region due to communal politics. She leased any other patch of land in one of the Qamata areas and set up an irrigation system.

Unfortunately, she confronted greater setbacks that year. One of the employees forgot to shut the faucet for the duration of a three-day rainstorm. “After three days of rain and non-stop irrigation, the cabbage was once actually swimming in water.”

This aggregate led to extra losses, Nose adds.

She already had a market lined up and the cabbage used to be nearly geared up for harvest. However, the deep slope of the farm made it challenging to drain the extra water.

“When the solar finally got here out, the cabbage roots had been saturated and started to rot,” she explains with a deep sigh.

Nobuntu Nose says she plant life cabbage at some point of the yr to preserve a constant money flow. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi
Successful lockdown sales
On 9 January 2020, Nose planted inexperienced maize and cabbage again.

“The gain was once that I used to be farming close to the road, so the product marketed itself,” she says.

During the lockdown, Nose efficaciously bought maize and cabbage, making a large profit. Her consumers prolonged as some distance as human beings from Gqeberha coming to Cofimvaba.

“I sold a bakkie returned in 2018, and with my 2020 sales, I managed to settle the balance.”

According to Nose, inexperienced maize and cabbage are worthwhile and no longer as labour-intensive as spinach.

In 2021, she planted cabbage once more however had to go to Pretoria to mark exams, which led to some enterprise losses, again. Community politics affected her farm, and human beings from the neighborhood neighborhood allowed their cattle to graze on her crops.

“When I got here back, the farm was once clean. I was once demotivated and determined to take a break.”

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Cultivating consistency
In 2023, she made a comeback, leasing a distinct property the place she planted cabbages. The crop thrived, producing terrific yields.

“I continually make sure that I have cabbage available, not like inexperienced maize, which is seasonal,” she explains.

She continues a non-stop planting agenda for cabbage to make certain a regular furnish and constant money flow. Her purchaser base extends throughout Cofimvaba, Tsomo, Queenstown, Cacadu, and Mthatha.

She serves casual markets, imparting to road companies and nearby shops, as properly as large shops like Spar in Cacadu, Evergreen Supermarket in Cofimvaba, and small companies in the surrounding villages.

Despite challenges such as water scarcity, Nose’s commercial enterprise stays stable.

Nobuntu Nose has employed two full-time employees however additionally brings in seasonal employees all through harvest time. Photos: Supplied/ Food For Mzansi
She adds, “We remember on water from the Lubisi Dam, with no choice sources available.”

Although she confronted many challenges and quickly viewed giving up farming, Nose says economic difficulties in 2022 made her reconsider.

“Despite the setbacks, I remembered that farming wasn’t a terrible thinking after all. When the harvest does well, it can be pretty profitable.”

She took these classes to coronary heart and used them as motivation to continue. Nose emphasises that superb farm administration is essential, specifically if you have a 9-to-5 job. Hiring anyone educated in farm administration is crucial; otherwise, monetary losses will persist.

READ NEXT: Erratic summer season climate put crop farmers on the again foot

Tags: Commercialising farmerCrop farmerEastern CapeInspire meWomen in Agriculture
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Farming instructor Nobuntu turns screw ups into A+ success

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